Something There
by Fluffy Bunnies Are So Cute
Summary: "Don't talk to me because you're bored. I'm not here to entertain you. And don't come to me only when you need a favor. I don't like being used." Maybe at first, that's what it seemed like. Maybe he just didn't realize it quite yet, maybe he didn't know that there was something there after all. Percabeth.
1. Rejection

_Don't __**talk**__ to me because you're __**bored**__. I'm not here to __**entertain**__ you. And don't come to me only when you need a __**favor**__. I don't like being __**used**__._

* * *

**-:-:- Something There -:-:-  
**Chapter One: _Rejection_

He sits on a lone swing in the middle of the park and sighs; he doesn't know what to do.

Rejection didn't sit well with him. In fact, he didn't know how to act at all. And to think, he actually thought he had a chance of capturing her as his. But she was beautiful and magnificent and just perfect, and he was only… _him_.

He wasn't good enough for her, and he would probably never be. Why would she choose him over anyone? It wasn't like he was any more special than all the other guys that yearned for her. He was only average-looking, not even that smart, or even from an influential family.

Dejectedly, he decides the only appealing side was that he could swim well—but then again, out of everyone else he was "competing" against, who _couldn't_ swim?

The swing twists around in a circle before it lets go and begins to unwind, spinning him around. As wind swishes through the forest, it sends the empty seats on the swing-set rocking back and forth with an old metal _creek_.

With a sigh, Percy decides that he needed to talk to someone. He had to have a friend that could help him get over—_God, he can't even say her name without a pang going through his chest._

As the swing slows to a stop, his hands slips into the front pocket of his cargo shorts and pulls out a phone. Percy slides the button to unlock it and clicks on the "contact list" icon on the screen, before he begins to sift through the variety of names he could send a message to.

A girl would be the best choice, wouldn't it? They'd probably understand his situation better than any of the guy friends he had, and maybe even think of ways he could "win" her over.

Percy scrolls down to the "C" section and lightly smiles to himself, as his thumb hovers over a contact. He had grown considerably closer to her over the months—maybe even subconsciously flirted a bit. Even though he knew his heart belonged to… _her_… she was definitely one of his closest friends, and he cared about her a lot, even if it was only platonic.

Nodding to himself, he clicks on the contact, opening up a blank text message, his thumbs hovering over the screen to type. She'd understand, he decides. She always did.

Quickly, he types into the phone:

_— Hey —_

Almost immediately, there's a reply.

_— Hi. —_

Percy smiles to himself, relieved that he'd finally be able to get a weight off his chest. She was always the best at comforting.

_— I need to tell you something —_ he decides to type. That would be a good leeway to what he had to say, right?

It takes longer for the reply to come back than he had hoped, but as assured, Percy finally got it.

_— Yes? — _

His mouth curls downward, a bit confused at her response. Normally she'd be more enthusiastic or supportive, but now, her message seemed almost… tentative? Anxious? Expectant? Percy sighs and shakes his head. The rejection was getting to him that was all.

_— She rejected me completely, I just, I don't know what to do. I really thought that maybe I had a chance, y'know? That I could make her fall for me. — _He presses send, watching as the message shoots off into cyber space.

_— Are you talking about Calypso? — _

An audible sigh of relief leaves his mouth as she implyingly confirms that she's willing to listen. He takes a deep breath before typing out the message. _— Yes. Annabeth, I don't know what to do anymore. I just need someone to talk to about her. —_

He slides the phone in his pocket.

The sky seems even darker now, and he can sense a storm brewing in the distance. The clouds are tumultuous overhead as they grow nearer and nearer, and the wind begins to pick up, biting through his clothes and into the skin.

It is almost ten minutes before he receives a reply—and by that time, the rain has started to come down in tiny little droplets, slowing increasing size as the seconds pass. His phone buzzes, signaling the incoming message, and Percy opens it up in anticipation.

_— Don't talk to me because you're bored. I'm not here to entertain you. And don't come to me only when you need a favor. I don't like being used. —_

Percy's eyebrows furrow as he reads the message. Something inside him pulls at his stomach—or was it his heart—and it sends it into a confused frenzy.

What did Annabeth mean by that? "I don't like being used." What did that mean?

The thunder rumbles above, and in a matter of seconds, he's soaked to the bone… but it doesn't matter. He is still trying to decipher the message. Percy stares at it more intently this time, but as the raindrops fall onto the screen, the battery sign in the upper right corner flickers red, and the screen goes black.

He shoves the phone in his pants, not particularly caring about the protection of it.

Why would she say that though? He wasn't using her! He didn't only come to her when he needed a favor! He genuinely enjoyed talking to her!

A depressing thought occurs to him as he realizes he mainly blabbed about Calypso to Annabeth. He could imagine her mocking him: _"Calypso this—Calypso that—Calypso's just perfect—Why don't we just talk about her all day?"_

But…

It wasn't possible, was it?

It wasn't like she… _liked_ him.

Right?

Percy barks out a laugh, but he stops abruptly upon realizing how _forced _it seemed.

All this time, was it possible that she liked him? Like, _like _liked him? Why had she never said anything?

His stomach twists uncomfortably from within him. Of course she hadn't said anything! He only made it 200% obvious that he was in love with Calypso…why would she say anything when she knew she didn't have a chance?

Percy places his head in his hands, wondering how on earth he could be so _idiotic_. He was such a retard, and he didn't even comprehend why Annabeth would want to be friends with such a… a _jerk_!

As he slips off the swing, and under the protection of the pavilion, Percy finally decides what it is now that he should—no, _must_—do.

He had to make things right with Annabeth.

The only question now, was _how_?

**quote inspired by a thing that Vivi kiked me. Love you Vivi :D**

**Yeah I have a new story. Yeah it's bad that I do.**

**I have a severe case of writer's block.**

**I cannot help myself :3**

**Story format is going to be similar to my other story "Roses," but the plotlines are different. The chapters probably aren't going to be that long either.**

**Check out my tumblr :) **_universalborderlines_ **... link on profile. That's probably where I'll keep tabs on updates and random original stories and maybe content not on fanfiction... you never know. **

**love you guys**


	2. Introduction

_Don't __**talk**__ to me because you're __**bored**__. I'm not here to __**entertain**__ you. And don't come to me only when you need a __**favor**__. I don't like being __**used**__._

* * *

**-:-:- Something There -:-:-  
**Chapter Two: _Introduction_

**.three months earlier.**

New town.

New school.

New people.

Percy sighs in frustration as he slings his bag over his shoulder and gets out of the car. First days of school were always a pain… but when it's your junior year, and you're in a completely new city, "pain" just took on a whole new level.

Just as he steps foot into the school, the bell rings, signaling the five minute bell until first period. He sighs yet again.

Pulling out a disturbingly fluorescent pink schedule, he peers intently at the small script and ink smudges, before heading in the direction where he _believed_ his first period would be.

Upon turning a corner, however, he bumps into someone and immediately falls back—not literally, of course, but figuratively, because she just may be the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen.

His step falters as he tries to move forward to lend her a hand—she had fallen—and it takes him a moment to get his head screwed straight again. When he finally is able to reach his hand out, she accepts it gratefully, and Percy almost lets go as he helps her up. Her eyes are just so… _expressive,_ and he couldn't help it!

She smiles gratefully at him, murmuring a small thanks as she repositions her bag on her shoulder. Percy wipes his hand on the front of his pants nervously, and he can see her eyes follow the movement, her smile slightly dimming.

_Oh dammit! _Percy stuffs his fists in his pockets, wishing he hadn't wiped his hands after helping her up. "I, uh, sorry about that," he smiles weakly, wondering if he had already scared this beautiful girl off.

The girl nods, clutching a binder tighter to her chest. He lets his eyes wander there for a second, before he catches himself, averts his eyes, and blushes profusely. When Percy looks back up at her, she' s smiling again, a slight tint to her cheeks.

"It's alright. So, what class are you going to?" she wonders curiously. It takes Percy a moment to reply and he has to glance down at the ridiculously colored schedule to affirm his answer.

"English with Brunner," he says, a furrow between his eyebrows. The bell was probably going to ring soon, and he still didn't know where it was!

Nonetheless, the smile on the girl's face broadens, and her eyes light up magnificently. "Really? That's where I'm going too! Come on, I'll show you where it is; you're heading in the wrong direction." Percy nods at her, following her lead as they maneuver through the halls. "So, are you new around here?"

Percy clears his throat, nodding again. "Yeah, we just moved here last month, what about you?" he asks teasingly.

She giggles. "Oh, I'm a born and raised New Yorker. Anyways, welcome to Goode. I think you'll find that you'll have a _good_ time here!"

He lets out a low, husky chuckle, enjoying the way her eyes light up as she speaks, baring her soul to the world. "I'm sure I will."

"Well, here we are, room 202. I can't really say I'm glad to be here though…" she adds almost to herself. Percy's head tilts sideways as he attempts to figure out why exactly the girl would say that.

The door opens before them, and he takes a step back so it doesn't hit him on its way.

The bell rings.

A man steps out to look at him and the girl with a hint of a smile on his seemingly wizened looking face. "Just on time," he remarks, marking down something on a clipboard he holds in his hand. "Miss Ogygia, welcome back," the teacher—presumably Mr. Brunner—says. She gives a tight lipped smile in reply.

"And I don't think I've seen you before… but you must be, ah, yes, Mr. Jackson, correct?" Mr. Brunner grins at him, the skin around his eyes crinkling, making him look much more youthful than reality. Percy nods in acknowledgment, now feeling suddenly awkward under the scrutiny of everyone craning their heads to look through the door.

When Mr. Brunner moves out of the way, both he and "Miss Ogygia" file into the classroom, him, undeniably awkward, and her, shining bright like a star. There are two seats in the front, and so Percy sits down in one of them, the girl taking the other.

Within the next minute, Percy hears shuffling around him, and he finds that most of the warm-blooded male population has relocated so they circle around him. It takes another minute for Percy to realize that no, they're not there to pick on him, but in fact, they're there to hit on "Miss Ogygia.—or, as he now realizes, _Calypso_.

And by the end of the period, Percy realizes Calypso is an enchantress, a temptress—just like the Calypso in the myth—and she had every guy spun around her beautiful little finger.

Either way, it was too late: he, too, was already caught.

**-:-:-:-:-:-:-**

Sunday afternoon, Percy makes his way to the community swimming pool. Over the month he had been here, he had found one bright side to the new neighborhood—the pool.

It was rather large and spacious, and not only contained a family/kid pool, but a whole sectioned off portion with lane ropes for those who wished to do laps.

And so that was how he spent the majority of the afternoon: lap, after lap, after lap. Swimming was always the one thing he could turn to if he ever needed to relax or simply think. And after a long week of school and a long week of seeing Calypso, Percy had decided he really needed the break.

However, as he exits the pool, a towel slung around his neck, he sees the one person he needed to cool off from tanning at the side of the pool, a bunch of guys surrounding her. Percy takes a moment to check out her body as he sits on a pool chair, running the towel through his hair.

_She lives in my neighborhood? _

His muscled torso is still dripping with chlorinated water, but he doesn't bother drying it off, too distracted as he watches Calypso from the opposite side of the pool.

Percy sees many guys come up to Calypso in attempt to make a pass at her, but he also watches her turn one down after another. By the time her pool chair is void of any males, his body has already dried, and Percy decides it's time for him to try and talk to her.

He hangs the towel around his neck again and starts to slowly make his way over towards her. As Percy passes by the diving boards at the deep end of the pool, a feminine scream, a loud noise, and a huge, uncontrolled splash, erupts from beside him.

Someone fell into the water.

And so, without another look at Calypso, Percy rids himself of the towel, and dives back into the glimmering blue water of the pool.

**Shine bright like a diamond~**

**I resisted it the first time, couldn't resist the second c:**

**Love you guys x**


	3. Inquisition

_Don't __**talk**__ to me because you're __**bored**__. I'm not here to __**entertain**__ you. And don't come to me only when you need a __**favor**__. I don't like being __**used**__._

* * *

**-:-:- Something There -:-:-  
**Chapter Three: _Inquisition_

Her head is throbbing and she doesn't know why. She can sense darkness behind her closed eyelids, and her body feels as if it's getting lighter and lighter...

But suddenly, the outside light slips in with small bursts, making the once dark environment unbelievingly painful. There's a tingly sensation on the tips of her lips, and she wants to bring her hand up to feel it, but she finds she... can't? Her hand is immobile, frozen in place, and she can't do anything about it!

The pressure on her lips increases, and she can feel air move down her throat, expanding her lungs. Her eyes fly open, only to be lost in a world of sea-green—the most vivid eyes she had ever had the chance to look into, full of determination.

When she realizes he just inadvertently took her first kiss, her mouth falls open with a heavy gasp, and the boy immediately moves back, wiping his forehead with his hand, droplets of perspiration clinging to him.

However, as he moves back, her own eyes widen in surprise, and all of a sudden, she's not so miffed about her "first kiss" being gone just like that. He was admittedly handsome, not in the "oh he's a hot jock" kind of way—although you could call him hot and be completely accurate, especially with the lack of clothes he has on—but more of a sweet, boy-next-door kind of thing.

She had never seen him before, not at school, not in the neighborhood, but there was a gossip cloud about some new kid drifting through the corridors of Goode. Immediately, she deduces that this may be him.

Her head pangs, and her hand comes up to lightly finger a lump on the side of her head. She hisses as her fingers hit the sensitive skin, and she wonders how bad it looked—it certainly felt bad.

"Are you okay?" he asks. The boy is in a crouching position to the side of her, his leg muscles and abdomen flexed.

She nods her head tentatively, wondering if in any given moment it would just fall off on the ground from her injury. "I think so. My head's throbbing… I guess I hit it a little too hard on the way down, huh?"

Gauging his face, it looks like he can't tell if he should laugh or be sympathetic, and so she gives him a small smile. "I'll be fine, I can just ice it to reduce the swelling, and the bump should go away hopefully soon."

A furrow between his eyebrows form, and he looks at her with concern. "But what if you have a concussion? You should go to the hospital."

It is then that Annabeth looks around and realizes the pool is empty—before she had fallen in, there were only a couple of stragglers, but now it was completely vacant. In fact, the sun had almost set, and she should have been home long ago.

"I'll be fine," she repeats, putting a slight edge to her words. She was always fine.

He looks like he wants to convince her more, but she quickly cuts off his next words. "And uh, thanks by the way." Her face heats up as she remembers the feeling of his lips against hers.

He looks away at the ground sheepishly, and she smiles to herself upon realization that he too is embarrassed. His eyes focus somewhere in the distance, and Annabeth can see the way his face drops when he doesn't see what he was looking for.

She's tempted to turn around and figure out what—or whom—he was seeking out, but she fights the urge and brings her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. She was only clad in a bathing suit, after all, and it wasn't even a one-piece.

The boy—she has yet to discover his name—notices her discomfort and awkwardly holds out his bright orange towel to her. Annabeth wraps it around her body and inhales deeply, the smell of chlorine overpowering the lingering masculine scent.

He nods to her, acknowledging her gratitude. "It was no problem. Just be lucky no one else is here, otherwise they'd for sure push you to go to the hospital." He gives her a playful, lopsided grin, although his eyes don't shine as he does.

She bobs her head timidly. "I'm Annabeth… I go to Goode." _Why would you say that, Annabeth? Why?_

"Pleasure," he replies, shifting until he sits down on the concrete alongside her. His knees are bent, and his forearms rest on them, subconsciously exposing his crotch section to her. She blushes furiously. "I'm Percy… and I also go to Goode."

"You're new there," Annabeth remarks, trying to divert her attention from his groin. They focus on his muscled biceps, but it does nothing to cool her face. Maybe she should just fall into the pool again; that would for sure get her skin color back to normal, wouldn't it?

Percy lets out a little chuckle, shaking out his short hair. It's slightly spiked up from the water, and she laughs inwardly as she compares him shaking the water out of his hair to a puppy. "That, I am."

"How do you like it?" she asks, clutching the towel even tighter to her body. The wind was picking up, giving her quite the chill. Annabeth could only imagine how cold it must feel to Percy… but she's too greedy to give up his towel. It smelled nice.

He hesitates for a moment, before vaguely shrugging his shoulders. "It's good." This spurs a small giggle from her and a faint smile from him.

"That's… good." Annabeth mutters this uncomfortably, not knowing what else to say. The sun is nearly out of the sky now—the street lights have turned on—and she wants to head home, but stay at the same time.

Percy nods, staring out into the pool. The fluorescent lights reflect off the water, creating some kind of shimmery aura to the pool, and it immediately captivates her attention as well.

"You could maybe sit with me and my friends tomorrow at lunch, if you wanted?" Annabeth blurts out her offer, shyly regretting her words after she said it.

His mouth opens in reply and then it closes. He swallows a lump in his throat before responding—his hesitance is clear to Annabeth, and she wishes she had never asked in the first place.

"Yeah, okay, thanks," Percy says finally.

She gets up—he follows—and she hands the towel back.

"Sure."

He nods, heading towards the gate to exit the recreational pool area.

"Sure."

**Yay, another chapter!**

**I don't really know where this is going, but it's a lot easier to write for, rather than Hidden in the Shadows, because it's still in the preliminary stages of the writing. Hidden in the Shadows is coming to an end in the next five-ish chapters or so, so it's getting increasingly harder to write.**

**Anyways, thanks for reviewing! It's considerably less than usual, but I love them all, so thank you x These chapters are so short anyways.**

**ok kool**

**(PS- _Copper Phoenix_,the answer is that I don't, haha c: I sacrifice my sleep time woot woot. 25 hours of sleep time on weekdays)**


	4. Interrogation

_Don't __**talk**__ to me because you're __**bored**__. I'm not here to __**entertain**__ you. And don't come to me only when you need a __**favor**__. I don't like being __**used**__._

* * *

**-:-:- Something There -:-:-  
**Chapter Four: _Interrogation_

Percy wanders around the lunchroom, searching for the blond head of the girl he had met at the pool. He was undoubtedly glad he had been where he was when he was—no one else was at the pool, or would have even seen her fall in—but there was a part of him that wished he hadn't.

It wasn't because he didn't like Annabeth, but because he liked Calypso… more.

Was it bad of him to think that? If he looks deep enough within himself… he was only being honest.

He was greedy, yes, and slightly a jerk, true, but what's done is done, and he knows the outcome he came out with was indefinitely the better choice.

She was pretty attractive too, in her own way. Not quite as stunning as Calypso, but she was nice to look at.

As he glances around the crowded cafeteria, he spots a caramel covered head he had subconsciously been looking for: Calypso. She sees him, smiles at him, and gestures for him to come closer with a red painted fingernail.

And even though she's surrounded by a bunch of males that fawn over her, Percy wants to go over there and join them. He notices that she doesn't give them any attention, and the fleeting thought that maybe, just maybe, he'd capture her for himself, crosses his mind.

So he shrugs his shoulders, not able to find Annabeth and slowly begins to walk towards the temptress with the gleaming eyes.

Just as he is only ten feet away, someone intercepts his path, and with a small sigh, he realizes it's Annabeth.

"Our table's over there," she points before blushing, "if you still wanted to sit with us, I guess."

From behind her, Percy can see Calypso's pursed lips as she frowns in disapproval.

But Percy had already given Annabeth his word, and that was something he didn't back away from. What harm would it be to make new friends anyway? Either way, he still had an entire school year to sit with Calypso during lunch, so one day away wouldn't hurt.

He smiles at Annabeth as sincerely as he can and replies: "Hey, yeah, okay."

And so he allows himself to be led away by Annabeth—something he only realizes he didn't mind at the end of lunch—and away from Calypso.

They arrive at a table of only five other people, and Annabeth is quick to introduce them all.

"That's Thalia, Luke, Leo, Grover, and Nico," she says. "Guys, this is Percy."

The formerly mentioned group replies with greetings of different enthusiasm levels, and he shifts awkwardly where he stands. Annabeth seems to be the most genuinely acceptant of having him there, and as Percy sits down beside her, at least three pairs of eyes flicker towards him sharply.

Annabeth turns to him, engaging him in conversation, and he's eternally grateful for that. Her company is pleasant and he rather enjoys it even though she was a little geeky at times. It's an endearing geekiness though.

"So you're new here?"

Percy's head whips towards the unfamiliar voice. It was the kid with the curly black hair and brown eyes that seemed like he was hyped up on caffeine. Chuckling slightly to himself, Percy realizes that the guy with the grinning face—Leo, was it?—seemed as if he resembled an elf.

Realizing he hadn't replied, Percy nods. "Yeah, my mom and I used to live in California."

The only other girl besides Annabeth—Thalia—turns to stare at him. "Why'd you guys move here?" Her voice is interrogating, and Percy can practically sense the terseness.

"After my mom divorced Gabe she decided to start somewhere new."

He can hear Annabeth's amused giggle as he says that, and his lips quirk up at the ends. "So you guys decided to move to the opposite side of the country?"

Percy raises his eyebrows at Annabeth teasingly. "Exactly."

"How did you meet Annabeth?" the blond haired guy questions. His pale blue eyes are narrowed slightly at Percy, who realizes that it's in a protective manner.

Annabeth cuts in before he can reply, a pinkish tint on her cheeks. "At the pool. We live in the same neighborhood."

He looks at her questioningly since she failed to mention how he had heroically saved her life, but she ignores his gaze, and so Percy decides she's just embarrassed. Percy shrugs and comments, "What she said."

"Are you a swimmer?" the dark-haired guy—Grover, he thinks—asks.

Percy grins at him. "Yeah, I love swimming. You?"

The guy shakes his head empathetically. "Absolutely not. I'm more of a land person," he chuckles.

Annabeth laughs. "You can barely get around on land without tripping, as is!" she remarks playfully. He scowls at her good-humoredly, engulfing more of his enchilada.

The only person who hasn't said anything yet, Percy notices, is the boy in the far corner, who looks considerably younger than the rest of the group. As if he can sense Percy staring at him, he looks up, his nearly black eyes flashing. "What."

There's a card sticking out beneath the boy's lunch tray, and a smile breaks out onto Percy's face as he confirms what it is. "You play Mythomagic?"

The girl, Thalia, groans. "Oh come on, Nico. Put those cards away, you dork."

Percy's eyebrows furrow, but Annabeth leans towards him to whisper in his ear: "They're cousins. He's a freshman." He nods in understanding, his eyes still on Nico.

"You know what it is?" Nico's tone of voice sounds slightly surprised, but by his face alone Percy would have never though he was affected.

He shrugs, taking a bite of his sandwich. "Used to collect them all when I was younger," Percy admits sheepishly.

Thalia nudges Nico. "You hear that? _Used to_."

Nico ignores his cousin. "Really."

Nodding, Percy eats more. When he's swallowed down his food, he replies: "Yeah, I've got almost all of them; both the cards and figurines."

Something subtle lights in the depths of Nico's eyes, as the boy nods to himself. "Do you have the Hades figurine?"

Percy's grin widens as the tension subsides. "Of course. He's got a 4000 attack power."

"But 5000 if the opponent attacks first," Nico remarks. "He's the last one I need."

"You can have it if you want. I don't really play with them anymore," Percy offers.

"Cool. Thanks." And with those two words, Nico nods slightly in approval, turning back to his lunch tray, shadows shrouding his face.

The five other people at the table look at each other simultaneously, before staring at him with a slight nod. The grin on Annabeth's face is infectious, and he can't help the smile that takes over his cheeks.

Seems like he had passed the interrogation.

**Nearly 11:30 uploads with Monday being school tomorrow. I wanted to add in another part... butttttt I'll save that for later c:**

**Percy's such a dork, haha, Nico too. **

**Hope you enjoyed.**

**Kinda threw Leo into there because, well, he's Leo Valdez c: hot dayum**

**Okie review please!**


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